Introduction
Pan-Africanism is recognized as a global movement with the idea that individuals of African origin have a common interest and should be unified. This phenomenon has often evolved into a cultural or political movement over several years. It has always aimed to strengthen and encourage the solidarity bond between individuals of African ancestry, the diaspora ethnic groups, and the indigenous (Agwanda & Özoral, 2020).
Although some other individuals contributed to the movement’s formation, William Edward Burghardt Du Bois, an influential thinker, is widely recognized as the true father of Pan-Africanism. The movement was formed in the 20th century after the Pan-African conferences held in London and other cities (Hodder, 2021). The term “Global Color Line” was famously coined by the activist W.E.B. Du Bois to describe the evolution of humanitarianism and racism (Barnett, 2020). By tracing the evolution of Pan-Africanism, this paper highlights the achievements and the roles that various leaders played in the movement.
The History of Pan-Africanism
Pan-Africanism has played a significant part in freeing the oppressed African-Americans for centuries; globally, the movement still unites the blacks. According to Hodder (2021), Edward Wilmot Blyden was the first person to use the term “Pan-Africanism” in 1900 at a Pan-African conference in London. He stated that Pan-Africanists believe “Africa ought to be free and united” (Wilford, 2021).
Pan-Africanists believed that the only way for Africans to unite was through shared racial ties. Pan-Africanism is said to have originated during the era when the African people were subjected to enslavement and were fighting for freedom. There were constant suicides and rebellions by the enslaved Black people captured from Africa who wanted to return to their families. However, in the 20th century, the movement was formed by African Americans from the diaspora, who led numerous Pan-African conferences from 1900 to protest against land grabbing, racial discrimination, and other injustices affecting blacks (Hodder, 2021).
The First Pan-African Conference was held in 1900 by a Trinidadian barrister in Westminster Hall and led to the drafting of a letter to the Queen of England and other leaders within European nations to help them end racial segregation and oppression of blacks (Lozenski, 2020). Later in 1919, in Paris, France, Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois, an African American writer and scholar, convened several conferences demanding independence and seeking ways to help black people (Williams, 2018). There are different types of Pan-Africanism: primordial, cultural, and historical.
Among the congresses held at that time, the most significant was in 1945, which many African Americans attended for the first time. The meeting after that led to the impetus and facilitated the formation of various post-war independence movements. In Congress, the right to use force by the independent states was agreed on. The independent African states were to apply force in their struggle for self-determination after exhausting peaceful means in their fight for freedom. Therefore, a meeting was called in 1958 by the first president of independent Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah, and attended by several Pan-Africanists (Williams, 2021).
It was held in the capital city, Accra, where the leaders of the independent countries were asked to support the rest of the countries that were not independent. The impact of this meeting was seen in 1963 when 31 nations were granted independence (Malisa & Nhengeze, 2018). At the same time, these activists never stopped and were further agitating for more unity among the blacks; for instance, they wanted an immediate continental political union to achieve unity among the African nations.
The Pan-Africanists within the African continent made significant advancements in the quest for freedom by forming various organizations. In 1963, the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) was formed; several cultural Pan-Africanism movements were formed throughout the 20th century (Dauda, Ahmad & Keling, 2021). The cultural movement was woven through the Harlem Renaissance, the African-American narrative centered on art, literature, scholarship, politics, fashion, theater, and dance (Farebrother & Thaggert, Eds.) (2021). The Renaissance led to the formation of Afrocentrism, Hip Hop, Rastafarianism, and the Francophone philosophy of Negritude. Through these cultural groups, the various artists contributed to the fight against the oppression of the black people; they strengthened the bond among multiple individuals of African descent to their place of origin.
How Global Color Line Shaped Pan-Africanism
The Global Color Line is a phrase that refers to the physical and symbolic boundaries that have been created to separate people of color from each other. It has been used to describe how people of color are systematically divided and oppressed. The Pan-African movement is a response to the Global Color Line, and it aims to unite all people of color worldwide.
The Global Color Line is a concept that W.E.B. Du Bois developed. Du Bois describes the line separating people of color from those considered “white” (Ledwidge & Parmar, 2018). This line is not a physical boundary but rather a social and economic construct that has been used to oppress people of color throughout history. Du Bois says the Global Color Line is the “chief impediment to world democracy” (Ledwidge & Parmar, 2018). Therefore, Pan-Africanism, through various activists, could bring an end to the existing racist culture.
The Global Color Line has been a long-standing reality that has shaped the development of Pan-Africanism. The roots of Pan-Africanism can be traced back to the days of slavery, when people of African descent were forcibly dispersed around the world. This dislocation fractured the African continent and created a disconnect between people of African descent living in different parts of the world.
The Global Color Line contributed to the development of white supremacy and racism, which further oppressed people of African descent. In response to these challenges, Pan-African activists have worked to build a sense of shared identity and struggle among people of African descent. Through education, activism, and artistic expression, Pan-Africanists have sought to create a global community that challenges the oppressive structures of racism and imperialism.
Several examples illustrate how the Global Color Line works. For example, people of color in North America are disproportionately targeted by law enforcement and punished more harshly than their white counterparts. In Latin America, lighter-skinned people often enjoy a higher social status and earn more money than those with darker skin. And in Asia, there is a long history of discrimination against African-Americans, particularly those who are darker-skinned.
The Global Color Line has changed over time as black people worldwide have fought for their rights. There was a time when people of color were considered property, and they were not allowed to own land or businesses. They could not vote or hold office; they were segregated and discriminated against. However, they have gained equal rights and opportunities and continue fighting for justice and equality. The Global Color Line still exists but is slowly changing for the better.
William Edward Burghardt Du Bois, the Father of Modern Pan-Africanism
Du Bois was the first African American to earn a doctorate from Harvard University. He was one of American history’s most influential African-American scholars, activists, and writers. His contribution to Pan-Africanism is primarily based on the belief that all people of African descent should be united through political, social, and economic means. This idea was often tested in his years of travel in Africa, where he established schools to advance equality for Africans. Du Bois’s book The Souls of Black Folk (1903) is a seminal work in African-American literature and intellectual history (Lozenski, 2020).
Du Bois wrote, “the problem of the Twentieth Century is the problem of the color line” (Olagoke, 2021). One of his most influential pieces was “Of Our Spiritual Strivings” (1899), reflecting Du Bois’s belief that African Americans should be more concerned with spirituality than material wealth (Ó Murchú, 2019). He helped establish the NAACP in 1909 and served as its director until 1934 (Rose, 2019). Additionally, Du Bois helped found the Niagara Movement to protest discrimination against black people in jobs and housing.
Marcus Garvey and Pan-Africanism
Marcus Garvey was a Jamaican black nationalist who founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League. He promoted the idea of Black Nationalism, which he believed would lead to Black empowerment (Malisa & Nhengeze, 2018). Marcus Garvey was born in 1887 in St Ann’s Bay, Jamaica; he attended school at the Church of England Central School and then worked as an apprentice printer (Jagmohan, 2020). He became a journalist in 1912, reporting on local and international events for various newspapers, including the “Jamaica Times” and “The New York Age” (Hanglberger, 2018). His first article was published in “The Negro World” in August 1916 (Oseni, 2018). It served as a voice for African Americans in the fight for the freedom of the oppressed.
Garvey was a powerful advocate for African people and worked to unite them worldwide. Additionally, he believed in self-reliance and urged his followers to start their businesses and become financially independent. Another key message of Garvey’s was education—he believed education was the key to liberation for African people. He started many schools and libraries throughout the Caribbean and Africa, and his teachings continue to inspire many people worldwide.
Garvey’s work inspired later activists in the Pan-Africanism movement, especially his powerful messages of black pride and self-reliance. He preached about the need for unity among all people of African descent, and his vision for a united Africa was ultimately realized with the formation of the African Union. Garvey helped establish a global black community, which continues today. His legacy is important, and his contributions to the Pan-African movement will be remembered for many years.
Pan-African Philosophies
Hip Hop
Hip Hop has become a global culture, with diverse styles and regional variations. It began in the 1970s in New York City’s South Bronx, amid young, working-class people of Latin and Caribbean origin and the African Americans (Hess, 2018). The relationship between hip hop culture and African musical and social traditions has been thoroughly explored, particularly by various authors in “Prophets of the City and Dusty Foot Philosophers” (Davis, 2019). There is a detailed exploration of the significant contributions of the culture to Africanism and the fight for the freedom of blacks.
Afrocentric Pan-Africanism
Afrocentric Pan-Africanism is the understanding of African culture in all its diversity. Therefore, Africans must have agency over their own culture and space and have a collective identity within and outside of Africa. To an Afrocentric individual, distinctions between black and white, Muslim and Christian are seen as artificial constructs imposed by imperial powers on the land to serve their purposes – to divide the people for control (Aniche, 2020). Exploring African roots seems about finding one’s true self and then reintegrating into society with one’s knowledge base instead of being apart from society with ignorance or prejudice.
Contributions of Maafa Studies to Pan-Africanism
Renowned African authors and Pan-African leaders have developed several studies. “Maafa” is a Swahili term that means “great disaster” (McCormack, 2020). In the context of African-American history, it refers to the institution of slavery and its aftermath (Thompson, Namusoke, & Isaac De Barros, 2021). Dr. Maulana Karenga first used the term in the early 1960s to describe the trauma and violence inflicted on Africans, African Americans, and other people of African descent worldwide (Lumumba, 2018).
The term has been used in philosophy, sociology, history, religion, psychology, literature, and art. The Maafa studies are a discipline of African studies that emerged in the United States in the 1990s (McCormack, 2020). It is a field of study that examines slavery, its legacy, and its consequences on various populations worldwide, including Africans in Africa, Africans in America, Afro-Europeans, and Afro-Latin Americans. It has contributed to Pan-Africanism by emphasizing how slavery has created an unprecedented global racial divide among people of African descent with different histories and experiences.
Pan-African Flag
No single flag has been adopted as the flag of all of Africa. The Pan African colors combine green, black, and yellow. Initially, these colors had their separate flags in different African countries. Later, they were linked to form the basis for today’s modern Pan-African Flag. One flag was intended to unite the blacks and enable them to speak with one voice in fighting for equality and freedom.
Women Who Played a Critical Role in Pan-Africanism
For centuries, the African continent has been plagued by colonialism, racism, and sexism. The women of the Pan-African movement have been instrumental in the fight against these ills. Notable women of the Pan-African movement include Amina Mama, who founded the International Peace Movement for Africa in 1945 (Van Klinken, 2020).
Mama founded the African Women’s Organization and advocated for women’s rights in Africa. Aminata Diallo was a Guinean woman who led a slave rebellion in 1847. Diallo rallied three thousand people to her cause and helped negotiate peace with French colonialists. Nanny of Jamaica is considered one of the most influential enslaved Jamaicans because she helped lead an uprising that resulted in the British.
Generally, though women were marginalized in the movement, they played vital roles in its development and success. Women had increased interest because they wanted to preserve their own cultures. Additionally, they had been excluded from society on an institutional level by white Americans since before colonization began–and continuing to this day, with Black men’s greater access to white institutions like universities and corporations. Due to racism against Black women, which is rooted in a long history of sexism against them within these institutions, they are determined to be part of Pan-Africanism.
Pan-Africanism in the United States of America
Pan Africanism is essential in the United States because it gives Black Americans a sense of identity and community. It helps connect African heritage and celebrate their culture and traditions. Pan Africanism provides a platform for discussing important issues affecting Black people, such as racism, poverty, and inequality (Segell, 2022). Despite the progress that has been made, there is still plenty of work to be done to realize the power of Pan Africanism entirely in the United States.
One of the most critical tasks is building and nurturing relationships among African American communities and organizations. Additionally, the African Americans must continue to educate themselves and their communities about African heritage and the importance of Pan Africanism. As more and more people become empowered and engaged in the movement, it is with confidence that the future of Pan Africanism in the United States is bright.
Modern Pan-Africanism
In its initial stages, Modern Pan Africanism calls for the unification of all people of African descent worldwide. The contemporary world is still based on the idea that humans are connected by their common heritage and can achieve more by working together than apart. The internet and social media have been powerful tools in bringing this movement to people worldwide. They provide a space for people to share their stories and connect, no matter where they are.
This connection strengthens the bonds of the shared heritage and helps to bring about the vision of a unified Africa. The modern form of Pan Africanism flourished in the 1960s and 70s due to the injustices of apartheid and white minority rule (Ilo, 2021). In recent years, social media and the internet have played a significant role in advancing the cause of Pan Africanism and connecting Africans worldwide.
Role of the Internet and Social Media
Additionally, social media and the internet have significantly impacted the spreading of information and awareness about Modern Pan Africanism. The internet, in particular, has allowed people worldwide to connect and share information about the movement more efficiently than ever (Taye, 2021). Through social media, people can see Africa’s beauty and the African people’s strength, which is helping to unite them and build a stronger Pan African community.
Role of the African Union
The African Union has been instrumental in shaping the trajectory of Modern Pan Africanism. The AU has worked to unite the continent and advocate for the interests of Africans on the global stage. Its primary goals are to promote sustainable development, economic integration, democracy, and human rights (Oloruntoba, 2020).
The AU has been active in conflict resolution and peacekeeping initiatives. In recent years, it has launched several initiatives to harness the potential of digital technology for socio-economic development in Africa. Through its programs and projects, the AU has helped bring about a new era of Pan Africanism that is firmly rooted in modern realities and technological advances.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Pan-Africanism has played an essential role in the activism of the oppressed African Americans for centuries. Many activists such as Martin Luther King, Jr, Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, and Dubois played crucial roles in ensuring that the African grievances were met accordingly. Global Color Line is an important concept to understand when studying Pan-Africanism. It has played a significant role in shaping Pan-African activism and has changed over time. Various leaders of Africa, like the first Ghanaian president, Kwame Nkrumah, kept the spirit alive by ensuring that the Africans and individuals of African descent living in the diaspora were united and voiced their demands.
References
Agwanda, B., & Özoral, B. (2020). The sixth zone: Historical roots of African diaspora and Pan-Africanism in African development. Journal of Universal History Studies, 3(1).
Aniche, E. T. (2020). From Pan-Africanism to African regionalism: A chronicle. African Studies, 79(1). Web.
Barnett, M. (2020). The humanitarian global colour line. Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance (ALNAP). Web.
Dauda, M., Ahmad, M. Z. B., & Keling, M. F. (2021). Analytical appraisal of the factors responsible for the metamorphosis of the organisation of African unity (OAU) to African Union (AU). Web.
Davis, C. (2019). Book review of hip hop in Africa: Prophets of the city and dusty foot philosophers. Journal of Hip Hop Studies, 6(2).
Farebrother, R., & Taggert, M. (Eds.). (2021). A history of the Harlem renaissance. Cambridge University Press.
Hanglberger, D. (2018). Marcus Garvey and his relation to (Black) socialism and communism. American Communist History, 17(2). Web.
Hess, J. (2018). Hip hop and music education: Where is race?. Journal of Popular Music Education, 2(1-2).
Hodder, J. (2021). The Elusive History of the Pan-African Congress, 1919–27. In History Workshop Journal (Vol. 91, No. 1). Oxford University Press. Web.
Ilo, S. (2021). How relevant are Black nationalism and Pan-Africanism in the twenty-first century?. In Xenophobia, Nativism, and Pan-Africanism in 21st Century Africa. Springer, Cham. Web.
Jagmohan, D. (2020). Between race and nation: Marcus Garvey and the politics of self-determination. Political Theory, 48(3).
Ledwidge, M., & Parmar, I. (2018). Clash of pans: Pan-Africanism and Pan-Anglo-Saxonism and the global colour line, 1919–1945. International Politics, 55(6).
Lozenski, B. D. (2020). Du Bois, Web. In Encyclopedia of Critical Whiteness Studies in Education. Brill. Web.
Lumumba, B. K. (2018). Is Pan-Africanism Dead?: The Relevancy of Garveyism in the twenty-first Century: The Politics of Black Self-Determination in the Southeastern United States (Doctoral Dissertation, Ohio University). Web.
Malisa, M., & Nhengeze, P. (2018). Pan-Africanism: A quest for liberation and the pursuit of a United Africa. Genealogy, 2(3).
McCormack, M. B. (2020). “But We Are Still Living in Maafa”: Commemorating 1619–2019 through Ritual Performances of Healing and Hope in New Orleans and New York. Liturgy, 35(4). Web.
Ó Murchú, N. (2019). Education and agency freedom in Du Bois and Sen. Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, 20(3). Web.
Olagoke, A. E. (2021). Web Du Bois: Prophet of social justice in the 21st century. International Journal of Sociology and Anthropology, 13(3). Web.
Oloruntoba, S. O. (2020). Pan-Africanism, regional integration and development in Africa. In Pan Africanism, Regional Integration and Development in Africa. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. Web.
Oseni, T (2018). Pan-Africanism in The Age of Globalization. Web.
Rose, W. A. (2019). Web Du Bois: Ethiopia and Pan-Africanism. Journal Of Black Studies, 50(3).
Segell, G. (2022). Revisiting Nasser Style Pan-Arabism and Pan-Africanism prompted by the Abraham Accords. Insight on Africa. Web.
Taye, T. A. (2021). Rethinking Pan-Africanism: The quest for the Supra-State formation and authentic development in africa. International Journal of African Renaissance Studies, 16(1).
Thompson, C. E., Namusoke, J., & Isaac De Barros, K. (2021). On Pan-Africanism, feminism, and psychotherapy: The perspectives of three Black scholar-practitioners from the US, Uganda, and St. Kitts/US. Women & Therapy, 44(1-2). Web.
Van Klinken, A. (2020). Queer Pan-Africanism in contemporary Africa. In Routledge Handbook of Pan-Africanism. Routledge.
Wilford, A. (2021). West African Pan-Africanists and the Memorialization of Edward Wilmot Blyden (Doctoral Dissertation, University of British Columbia). Web.
Williams, C. (2018). World War I in the historical imagination of Web Du Bois. Modern American History, 1(1). Web.
Williams, M. (2021). The Pan-African Imperative: Revisiting Kwame Nkrumah’s Vision for African Development. Routledge.